"The Islamic Republic gives notice to the international community to use all its might to prevent the use of these weapons anywhere in the world, especially in Syria," Mehr news agency quoted Rouhani as saying.

Syria's government denies using such weapons and Iran's foreign minister said on Thursday that groups fighting Assad's forces in a two-year-old rebellion must have been behind what he then said was just a suspected gas attack.

Russia, another major ally of the Syrian government, has suggested rebels could be behind the attack.

Abbas Araqchi, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, said Iran believed the rebels were behind the attack, and that Iran was in touch with Syria and other countries to find out what happened.

"There is evidence that this action was carried out by terrorist groups," ISNA quoted Araqchi as saying. "The concurrence of the use of these weapons with the presence of United Nations inspectors is itself an indication that there are hands at work to accuse the Syrian government of using these weapons and help the conflict and crisis to continue."

The uprising against four decades of Assad family rule has turned into a civil war that has killed more than 100,000.

Foreign powers have said chemical weapons could change the calculus in terms of intervention and are urging the Syrian government to allow a U.N. team of experts to examine the site of Wednesday's reported attacks.

The United States on Friday was repositioning naval forces in the Mediterranean to give President Barack Obama the option of an armed strike on Syria, although officials said that Obama had made no decision on military action.

In response, Iran warned the United States on Saturday not to get militarily involved in Syria.

"No international licence exists for military intervention in Syria," Araqchi was quoted as saying by ISNA. "We hope that White House officials are wise enough to not enter such a dangerous battle. Statements of provocation by American military officials or actions such as sending warships do not help solve the issue and will make the region's situation more dangerous."

WASHINGTON/PARIS Key U.S. allies in Europe are quietly expressing concern over President-elect Donald Trump's approach to Syria, warning that his pledge to work more closely with Russia, Damascus' main backer, will do little to diminish the terrorist threat emanating from Syria.

ACCRA Opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo won Ghana's national election, becoming president elect at the third attempt and cementing the country's reputation as a standard bearer of democracy in a region that has been blighted by civil wars and coups.